Kurigram, April 26 -- A wooden bridge built with the 25 years of savings of a porter now spares thousands in Kurigram the daily risk of crossing the Buri Teesta River.

Abdul Karim, a resident from the Jonaidanga area under ward No. 8 of Ulipur municipality, spent nearly Tk 3 lakh to build the 120-foot bridge entirely on his own initiative.

What makes the feat extraordinary is how the money was raised: Karim saved bit by bit from his earnings as a porter over 25 years, later selling his motorcycle and taking small loans to complete the bridge.

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For more than two decades, locals had been forced to cross the river using a risky bridge, often facing the danger o...